Sean Loose Designs US Open Theme Art

Professional Illustrator And SCAD Graduate Focuses On The Fans

Sean Loose is an illustrator and designer, working out of New York City as a Brand Illustrator for Indeed.com. Sean has always had an interest in drawing — ever since childhood he has been found to be constantly doodling. It wasn’t until high school that the realized he could evolve his hobby into a career.  A 2014 B.F.A. graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), Sean studied Illustration, and worked to hone his craft. Through his studies, Sean created a personal aesthetic that brings together elements of Illustration and graphic design and resulted in an obsession with shapes and abstraction and composition that carries through in his work to this day.

As one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, the U.S. Open represents the best of the best when it comes to match play. For 2019, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) looked for a design that was centered around its fans and captivated their excitement throughout the arena. They found their answer in Sean Loose.

Sean Loose, professional illustrator for Indeed.com and graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)’s top-ranked illustration degree program, was one of dozens of artists who submitted concepts for the 2019 U.S. Open theme art. Loose’s illustration rose to the top and was ultimately selected to be the face of the U.S. Open this year. USTA officials were drawn to how he brought to life the passion and excitement of tennis and its fans.

 

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In 2018, USTA announced it was seeking talented designers to help with the following year’s theme art. Mohamed Danawi, Loose’s professor while at SCAD, mentored him through the process, ultimately encouraging Loose to submit concepts that captured the true feelings of the fans of the sport. Loose studied YouTube videos of tennis matches to draw inspiration for his work. After watching matches and researching the sport, he was able to step into the mindset of U.S. Open fans to breathe life into his illustration. “I learned that, during the game, fans have to be quiet,” said Loose. “When they do get to cheer, it’s explosive; it’s a bunch of bottled up excitement. In my illustration, I wanted to capture the moment where fans’ enthusiasm explodes – it’s a big moment.”

Loose’s design is making USTA history – for the first time ever, the illustrations will be animated and played on screens throughout the grounds during the sporting event. The artwork will also act as a content trigger, using augmented reality to allow fans to view the animation on their phones.

 

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Though currently working as a brand illustrator for Indeed.com in New York City, Loose always thought he’d grow up to be a doctor. It wasn’t until an art class in high school that opened his eyes to the world of painting and drawing. Loose followed that passion to SCAD, where he majored in Illustration and found himself surrounded by a passionate and creative community of fellow students and professors. At SCAD, Loose says he learned the basics for how consumers perceive and think, which he then began applying to his work and, ultimately, his illustration for the U.S. Open.

“My time at SCAD shaped a lot of who I am as a designer,” said Loose. “The experience SCAD provides its students is truly one-of-a-kind, and the relationships I formed there helped lead me to career success, including this amazing opportunity with the USTA.”